Ozymandias
by A Glimpse of Ethereal Blue
Summary: The Covenant ship is on its way to Origae-6, with an enthusiastic synthetic on board. Despite all the plans David has concocted to create perfection itself, he decides to wake up Daniels in the middle of the way... and explore the limits of human mind and body. After all, in space... no one can hear you scream. [Set after the movie Alien: Covenant]
1. Milk

**Chapter 1. Milk.**

I didn't know where I was, the day it was. All I knew was that I felt choking, nauseated and oppressed. Something felt heavy on my chest, and it was hard to breathe.

Eventually I coughed something liquid and felt some relief. There it was, I knew the feeling – waking from cryosleep was like this. Nausea, cough and eventually, vomit. First I tried to move, lay on my right side. Somehow that position gave a little comfort, and the aired pillow beneath my head and ear eased the process. Eventually, I felt I could move. Slowly, arms and legs probed the tepid inner lining of the cryopod, and I dared to open my eyes.

Foggy, it was all out of focus, my lids hurt a little as I tried to open them and forced my vision to become normal again.

I was so confused as I tried to make sense of what was happening. So I was waking up from cryosleep... but how?

As my breathing stilled and I managed to sit down, I closed my eyes. Damn vertigo, damn all those orthostatic changes that made me close my eyes to get a decent _balance_. The feeling eventually faded, as the nausea came in by waves. Luckily I didn't vomit, but the struggle with my own body trying making it work as a whole faster than it could, had its toll. I inhaled deeply and opened my eyes, slowly. I scanned the area – silent and in mid-light, black and orange strangely mingling to create a welcoming, yet strange environment.

The lights – the white lights weren't on, which meant... I was the only one awake here. My feet met the cold ground. Like a grid, it marked my feet as I made way to the only pod working in this place.

Tenesse's.

I walked slowly towards his pod, totally dark. I didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing. Was he there, sleeping? Had he been awake before me? And, if that had been the case... where would he be?

I had to use the vacant pods for support, and at a decadent, slow rhythm, I reached Tenesse's cryopod. My feet hurt, for they were cold. _Freezing_.

With a shaky hand, I reached the surface of the pod. It glow instantly, and I felt safe to see my friend sleeping, safe and sound. His heartbeat was normal, all of his vitals were just fine.

With a sigh I took off the cap I had on my head. It gave me a strange feeling of freedom, my face and hair – now longer, and for a moment i wondered how. How on Earth could I have grown my hair while on cryo. It was just not normal... unless the cryo parameters had been changed somehow. I knew those had some _nuisances_ , but I had to admit I just knew the basics to get someone on cryosleep. Period.

I took my time to think for a while, try to remember.

My breathing was now normal, but my heart raced. Why did I feel so anxious, so... worried?

I rested my hands on my legs, bending forward a little. The position gave me comfort, and maybe even peace of mind. I closed my eyes as I tried to remember what had happened when I got to the cryosleep.

Slowly, it all came up. The fire that had killed Jake, the rogue emission, the damned planet where it all had happened... where almost everyone had died. Those creatures. Walter and the other... synthetic. _David_.

 _David_.

The thought of him, the name matching a real face and body made me open my eyes.

His name resonated in my head as I recalled all the monstrosities he had done to Shaw, all those nasty hideous creatures that _thing_ had created... and the impending threat when I confronted him with his actions...

' _What did you do to her?'_

' _Exactly what I'm going to do to you._ '

Despair overwhelmed me for a moment, as I recalled my last memory before I went to cryosleep.

It was him. It had been him all along, playing along the nice and dutiful synthetic to trick us all and do whatever he wanted... with us all. Me and Tenesse. The colonists. The embryos.

 _Oh my God_. What a tragedy. What had he done?

And all of nothing, suddenly, reality stroke me hard.

 _What had he done to me?_

Panic invaded me. I opened my suit and scanned me whole. Everything seemed fine, no cuts, no incisions. But then again... what if he had put something inside me? I had all my natural orifices available for him to play with while asleep. Eyes, nose, mouth, ears... and I couldn't even consider the rest.

I closed my white sleeping suit again and looked around once more. I had to get to the med area to get a scan. Only then I would be sure I had been invaded or n-

My thought froze as my eyes met a pair of boots. Those were _my_ boots, resting right next to the door.

 _He put those there on purpose_.

I stood still for a moment, thinking about what that might mean. Where my boots there for me? What was I supposed to do?

Eventually, something decided for me.

I walked towards the door and grabbed my boots, put them on slowly. I looked around for some long seconds and wondered where should I go, what should I do now. The immediate thought was – leave the ship, search for something that might get me out of here as soon as possible. In fact, I knew where I could find some emergency ships. The mother ship had a couple of them – reserved for situations that weren't supposed to happen, of course.

And, speaking of mother... my eyes met the door. The door I would have to open to get somewhere on this ship. But where to?

 _Priorities, Daniels. Priorities, focus._

I tried to focus, tried to get a grip on myself. My hair tickled my ears, longer than I was used to for so long.

 _The Med bay_. I had to go there first before considering leaving. I needed a scan, needed to know if I was... contaminated or something. Only God would know the atrocities David might have been working on since I've been asleep.

I had to be sure I was okay.

So I dared. I had to.

"Mother."

"Yes, Captain Daniels. It's nice to hear you, that you woke up without incidents."

Mother's phrase made me froze for moments. What did she mean by 'incidents', damn it?

"Mother, is there any unidentified organism aboard this ship?"

The answer was immediate.

"No."

I decided to rephrase.

"Is there someone not human on this ship?"

"Yes."

"Who, then?"

"Walter."

 _What?_

It wasn't possible. Walter was not aboard this ship, David was. I just knew it, recalled that terrifying moment when I was about to enter cryosleep.

"Are you sure it's Walter, Mother?"

"Yes."

Yeah, right. But then again, I decided to play along.

"Where is he, Mother?"

"In the Med bay."

The answer couldn't be more disappointing. But, of course, only a synthetic as calculating as David would guess my major worry would be as soon as I woke up. I considered what to do for some moments, breathing heavily. My body felt weak and I was actually... scared.

With a pressurizing sound, the door opened, and my eyes greeted one of the halls of the ship. I took my time, again, not knowing for sure what the best option would be.

Should I dare?

"Maybe some music would help you to relax, Captain."

Mother's voice sounded without my order, which meant... Oh, I knew exactly what it meant. It had been David's orders.

And it scared me, irritated me not knowing a thing about that damn synthetic's doings.

The music started playing, resonating in the whole area of the ship, and I recognized it at once. It was part of my playlist. _Garbage_.

 _I am milk  
I am red hot kitchen  
And I am cool  
Cool as the deep blue ocean_

 _I am lost  
So I am cruel  
But I'd be love and sweetness  
If I had you  
I'm waiting  
I'm waiting  
For you_

 _I'm waiting  
I'm waiting  
For you_

I felt a goosebumb along my spine as I heard the chorus, wondering how thorough some phrases actually were and the impending mystery beneath the fact that he was actually _waiting_ for me. In silence, with a steady and cautious pace, I walked slowly through those halls.

 _I am weak  
But I am strong  
I can use my tears to  
Bring you home  
I'm waiting  
I'm waiting  
For you_

 _I'm waiting  
I'm waiting  
For you_

 _I'm waiting  
I'm waiting  
For you_

The doors closed and opened as I walked the path, the one leading me to the place I wanted so bad to be. The Med bay. _And where he would be too_.

 _I am milk  
I am red hot kitchen  
And I am cool  
Cool as the deep blue ocean_

 _I'm waiting  
I'm waiting  
For you_

 _I'm waiting  
I'm waiting  
For you_

 _I'm waiting  
I'm waiting  
For you_

 _I'm aching for you  
I'm aching for you_

 _I'm waiting  
I'm waiting  
I'm waiting  
For you._

The music stopped when I reached the hall that lead to the Med bay, my sight on the door right ahead. Fear overwhelmed me for a moment, for I knew the physical superiority of David wouldn't let me defend myself properly. I could deal with his words, try to say something... but I couldn't fight him with raw force. It was a lost battle from the beginning.

My heart raced and I tried to focus. I knew that what would follow wouldn't be nice. And, what bothered me the most, was... not knowing what that damn artificial thing wanted to do with me – his intentions, of waking me up, clearly earlier than Tenessee... but, what for?

It couldn't be a good thing. After what he did to Shaw... I dreaded what that malfunctioning system might have planned for me. That, if he hadn't already done something while I'd been asleep.

I looked around, concluding I couldn't stand in this hall forever. I had to face whatever was inside that Med bay and... well, see what to do then.

That was the terrible truth.

With firm steps that clearly echoed in the silence of the ship – now that the music was clearly off -,I walked towards the door, opened it with the touch of my hand.

The depressurizing sound gave me strength to step in, face whatever I would find. With my eyes on the scanning machine, I got inside and the door closed behind me. I noticed it wasn't locked. It sounded differently when there was a locking order.

It was not the case.

I drew a deep breath and noticed, through the corner of my eye, that _he_ was there. Right there, dressing in grey, clearly waiting for me. I felt the heaviness of his stare on me, the power of his presence.

Damn machine, how come a synthetic have such abilities?

I didn't move and neither did he.

He merely stood, waiting for something to happen, waiting with that infinite, artificial patience.

"Why did you wake me up?" I whispered, actually dreaded with the potential the answer might have.

"It was time." He answered. Unbiased and yet, leaving me in the dark.

"What did you do to me?"

My stared remained in the scanning machine, and my thoughts focused on how I wanted to get inside that thing and be sure that I was ok.

"If you want answers, Captain Daniels, you'd better look at me."

I hesitated. And he insisted.

"I meant in the eye, Captain."

It took me a deep breath and lot of courage to finally meet _him_ in the eye. I shook a little as our stare met. It was strange to feel _fear_ of a synthetic whose face you used to trust blindly not such time ago.

David's piercing, blue stare was almost levelled with mine, at distance. He stood right there next to counter, dressed in a way I'd never seen Walter with. Grey suit, mingling with the colour of the walls. _Grey and blue_. There was a little smirk on this face and I wondered what that might mean.

"I can see you woke up perfectly fine. Well done, Captain."

"Go straight to the point, David. What did you do to me?"

He made a face, half-narrowing his stare at me. The smirk was gone.

"There's no need to be harsh, Captain. Your health is perfectly fine, I can assure you."

My reaction was immediate.

" _Assure me_?" I quoted, with a sneer. "As you _assured_ Shaw you'd wake her up when you'd arrive to your destination?"

David didn't say a word. He merely walked towards me, leaving a consistent meter between us. He was taller than me and I dared to remain my stare on his.

"Well, well. Aren't we grumpy this morning."

"What did you do to me, David?" I repeated, my words cautiously paused as I said them.

I saw the man in front of me blink, with an annoyed expression.

"I've already told you your health is perfectly fine. Is there something you don't understand?"

 _Cynical bastard_.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, David. Did you do something to me while I was in cryosleep? Ha? Did you or not?"

He made an amused face... and smile. Taking one step further, he approached me, and I reflexively took one step back.

"Why do you insist so much on that question, Captain? Do you feel your body violated in some way?"

His question rendered me silent for a moment.

"I don't trust you."

"Trusting takes time, Captain." He declared. "That's part of the reason you are awake and your other crew member is not."

"What do you mean?"

"I reconsidered."

My eyebrows went up. _What_?

"You... _reconsidered_?" I was completely lost of words. "What do you mean by that?"

There was a sample of smile on his face before he spoke.

"I'll try a different _approach_ on you, Captain. After considerable thinking, I decided not to be as invasive with you as I was with Dr. Shaw."

Silence bathed the Med bay for moments, and David was the only one speaking again.

"I can help you with the scanning, if you'd like. Then, I would consider eating and hydrating. After all, you were 3 years in cryosleep."

I was still processing the whole 3 years thing, as David turned the scan machine on.

"You can lie down, if you want."

I blinked at him, amazed at his nerve.

"I'll start the scan." He added, with a sample of smile.

 _Oh, no._

"I can scan myself alone, David."

His stare changed at once. It all seemed impossible, how a synthetic could _do_ that. So like a human.

"I insist." He said.

"So do I." My tone was flat. "It's an order from your Captain, David. You can leave."

There was an uncomfortable pause before he spoke.

"Of course... Captain."

With an _almost_ neutral expression on his face, David left the Med bay and I was alone. Finally.

I took a deep breath as I tried to gather myself from the whole conversation. It was all too hard to process, too... complicated. What on Earth did this psycho have in mind, anyway?

I scanned myself pretty fast. The machine was prepared for automatic scanning, if programmed that way. I remained still as the computed processed the images, and the insides of my body were revealed in parts in the computer screen.

It all seemed to be in place. At least, that was what the report mentioned.

' _No unknown tissue detected_.'

I took a deep breath again, felling utterly relieved. I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the tears I had been holding inside be freed, finally. It had been too much tension, too much fear and despair. My hands met my face for a moment, and I let myself cry out all of it.

God knew I needed all that grief to go away.

"Captain."

I jumped out of nothing, scared for a tiny, little moment, then turned. To face David. Again.

"What do you want?" I asked, a little out of breath. "I thought I was alone, don't startle me like that."

There was a moment of silence as some stubborn tears still fell.

"I'm sorry to invade your moment. I am here just to inform you the kitchen is ready and at your service. Considering your lack of trust in me, I figured you wouldn't want me to prepare you a meal, but do it yourself instead."

I sensed the sarcastic tone in his words.

"You figured out correctly, David. You're dismissed."

But he didn't move. He blinked, and approached me again – this time closer. Arms down, erect posture, and a flawless composure.

"It will come the day you'll beg for my presence, Captain." He whispered, and I felt the moistness of his breath meeting my hair. "And then, we will see if your temperament will remain so... guarded." His left hand rose, and his index finger met one of my tears, that little drop resting there, as his eyes felt my stare to focus on the tear.

With curiosity, he stared at it, a little ball of water begging for attention. With a soft movement, I saw him put his own finger in his mouth. Clearly, tasting the tear he had taken from my face.

With surprise, I saw him consider what to say to me, as his stare softly met mine again.

"Salty." He said, with a sneer.

I gulped dry at his tone and avoided his stare, focusing on the counter by my left side instead. Where the computers and some more screens with my scans were.

But David was determined to continue creeping me out. His fingers touched slightly the new length of my hair, and I didn't know where he was staring at.

"As you can see, I told you the truth. You remain healthy. And in one piece."

"As I said before..." I declared, with a gulp. "...you're dismissed, David."

He didn't move for a couple of seconds, then he merely stepped away and left the Med bay.

It was only then that I had time to finally breathe out in relief and sit for a while, in the cold floor and dim environment of the impersonal medical area.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2. Requirements.**

It took me some considerate amount of time to gather the strength to leave the Med bay.

I knew I had to face whatever was out there, waiting for me... creepy David and the strange way he talked, the disfigured way he saw things. In my mind, only one thing came to mind: taking him out. _Kill him_.

But how?

He certainly knew I would try to do that eventually. It was instinct and I had seen what he had done back in that planet... planted chaos and killed everyone... Walter included.

For moments, my thoughts travelled to that poor creature. _Walter_. What had David done to him? I didn't know, didn't dare to imagine. But I couldn't help but to feel pity of the terrible fate Walter had had. He didn't deserve that, he was a great... synthetic. Someone I felt I could _trust_ on.

Considering all the things that had happened... nothing coming from David would surprise me anymore.

With a deep sigh, I stood. Tried to walk, feeling a little dizzy.

 _Food. I need to eat something._

With careful steps I walked out of the Med bay and on towards the kitchen I went. It was big, just like a school cafeteria, made for a large crew, as we were supposed to be. The thought enraged me... and at the same time made me so, so sad. Tears fell, but I went on, anyway.

I didn't know what to do with all the stuff stored in there, all types of food designed to last years. All I had to do was to choose: juice, bread, ham, cheese. Fruit... mango, peach, orange, banana, apple. I had always wondered how they would do to make these things stay edible for so _long_.

I eventually took a consistent amount of juice in a glass. Varied: orange juice first, then red fruit mix, then apple, drank it all without a pause. After all that, the bread. Corn bread, with ham and cheese. It felt good, to eat something tender and with taste of real food. It was a strange thought, but it was there.

I finally sat, while I ate. I chewed slowly, despite the hunger. Didn't want to impact my stomach with half-chewed food; the result would be disastrous. I cleaned my eyes, my face, knowing the puffiness would give my crying away.

 _Pff. Like I care_.

The ship was silent – a disturbing silence, of the kind that was about to be destroyed and turned into a hurricane, a storm of sorts. I looked around, wondering where to go next. I had to check all the ship, know if the colonists and our precious cargo were… okay.

That thought in particular made a chill run along my spine. What I really meant with 'okay' was specifically 'being alive'. I had been sleeping 3 years.

3 years of David randomizing in the ship doing whatever he wanted.

The images of those horrendous drawings of Shaw made me shiver… of fear. What were the limits of that synthetic? Did he have any?

For moments, I wondered… wondered what he might actually want with me. _Alive_.

And that just couldn't do. I had to know what his intentions were. Because, if he intended to make a guinea pig out me… he was wrong. He was so wrong.

I knew exactly what to do, how to do it. I would die, yes – but he wouldn't destroy and use my body to his sick purposes. Space was infinite, and I didn't fear it.

In a way, I would join my dead Jake, lingering in space, folded like a mummy, at the mercy of all the unknown perils space had. I knew it made no difference, but… if he rested in some place I could, at least, visit him… it would soothe my heart, my mind… my sadness of losing him so soon in our precarious life.

I got up, let out a long sigh, feeling my lower lip tremble.

 _Enough with the crying_.

It was time to face whatever it was waiting for me. Even if it was death in the human form.

* * *

I had given it considerate thought.

To use the body while asleep, or not; to use simply the colonists, or not. Or just to wake her up and see how things went.

And why?

 _Curiosity_.

It had been something that I'd seen in Walter's protective behaviour about Daniels. It wasn't intended, it was merely instinctual and that sort of 'affection' he broadcasted to her... I actually didn't know where it came from. It made me wonder, if something had happened previously, way before I met them, to justify such stance from my fellow synthetic clone.

Daniels's dreams were restless. She had fallen asleep stressful, and the effects of panic had impact on her mind, even in such deep sleep. I checked her vitals daily, and every time the contents of her dreams surprised me. The drawings I had made mixed with images of my beloved creations, killing and pursuing their prey; the fear she felt contrasted with the need to be strong and... intrepid. Sometimes it was me there – my form, all over her, saying those things that had frightened her in such a raw way.

' _Is this how it's done_?', I had asked her, but then Walter interrupted our little moment of... learning. Confusion bathed Daniels' eyes as I talked to her; she couldn't say a word, only whimper beneath my hold. It had all been too quick.

 _I needed more time with her_. Hence my indecision.

Time went by slowly, and I took my time exploring this ship. All its corners, all the compartments and the way I would have to transform it to pursue my experimentation. In Walter's belongings I had found something very interesting. Body parts. Hands, legs, feet, ears, noses, all of it along with fusing technology.

Well, well. My problem considering the lack of one of my hands was basically solved. With patience and calm, I took my time wiring a new hand into my arm. The sensation was good, as I felt somehow whole again – not a handicapped synthetic unable to perform fine task two-handed because of 'duty', as Walter put it.

Yes, I knew better. The connection between Daniels and Walter was strong and, in a way, naively intimate. I realized it when she was about to get into the cryosleep pod. Now with Tenesse asleep, she eyed me with an intensity that was clearly different from the past days. The illusion of having Walter around her gave her an emotional liberty that I couldn't understand... at first. The staring. The eye-contact. It was all filled with a mysterious meaning that I wanted to... grasp.

The ship had been thoroughly prepared. My lab, carefully positioned in a restricted area of the ship, was completely isolated and only I was allowed inside. I had programmed Mother to allow me and me only inside.

The sight would be very traumatizing for Daniels, considering her reaction to my... sketches. Not to mention dangerous. My doings consisted in merely refining what I had begun. Like an artist, whose only which is to create the perfect masterpiece. However, there were things that I needed to make – or, better said, to graciously conceive perfection itself.

 _Daniels_. She had all I needed to give my masterpiece the traits necessary to thrive. I smiled at the thought. It would be a challenge to _bend_ Daniels to my will, convince her to be my... accessory.

I walked towards the meal room, where I know she must be. Mother was my accomplice in crime, so to speak, letting me know where Daniels wandered. And, in this precise moment, she was walking towards me. I narrowed my eyes.

 _How exciting_. What would be the word I should use to apply to a human who is scared, but at the same time, audacious?

That was how Daniels looked like when we met in one of ship's corridors. Like a trapped rodent, her body language giving away everything her eyes didn't. Her warm, brown gaze would boil me alive, explode me and scatter me into pieces, if a stare had that power.

The thought actually amused me.

 _That's it, Captain. Defy me_.

"So I assume you've had your meal. Do you feel any better?"

She blinked and her facial lines didn't change.

"Cut the crap and tell me what are your intentions, David."

I took my time answering her.

"My intentions?" I asked back. "What do you mean with 'intentions'?"

Daniels looked like she was going to snap anytime.

"Why are you doing this? Why did you wake me up, with what purpose?" Her tone sounded desperate. "What do really want from me?"

Her last sentence was barely a whisper, and my automatic response was walking towards the desperate woman in front of me and to give some support. She sure seemed to need it.

The touch of my hands on Daniels' arms scared her. She looked at me, by her left size, and stared at my hands.

Both of them.

"You have two hands." She said.

"The wonders of technology, Captain. Being a synthetic has some advantages, such as these."

She looked at me with a puzzled stare.

"In case you're wondering... no, it didn't grow back." I said, with a smile.

"That's not funny."

I blinked at her.

"Or course not." I declared. "Here, let us find an appropriate place for us to discuss what you want so bad to know."

* * *

There were no words to how sinister David looked, when he talked at me.

It was like he was evil itself. Smooth words, no harsh language. Despair had taken me over when I didn't want to. The uncertainty, the 'not knowing'... was something that consumed the feeble vitality I had left.

With steady hands, he lead me to the main room – where Tenesse would be, to pilot the ship. It was a neutral territory, I could understand his logic. He didn't want me to feel cornered, unsafe – more than I felt already.

"Please, sit." He said, leading me to a seat. Silently, I saw how he sat exactly in front of me. My eyes were on his for a while, but it felt way too uncomfortable, so I eyed the table, anything else but the synthetic in front of me. "Let's talk properly now, if you wish so. Captain."

His words, transferring the responsibility of decision to _me_ , irritated me. But it kind of worked.

My eyes met his again and our gaze fought.

"What do you want from me? Be specific." I said, gulping after my last word. I didn't know what would come out from that thing in front of me.

"There are several things I want, and need from you, but first things first, Captain. Or it will become a blur of requirements."

 _Requirements. Good God_.

"First of all, I would like you to know I haven't touched any human in this ship... yet. I've been preparing my work station for further experimentations, but... everyone is alive. Sleeping, but alive. Embryos included." He paused for a second. "However, I will need something from you. The question is: would you accept my terms?"

"That depends. What are your terms?"

David sneered and I dreaded what would come out from that sordid mind.

"I will need your tissue. Living tissue from several parts of your body. It all can be done with you alive. Sedated, but alive."

I took my time processing his words.

"You want to sedate me to take parts of me?"

"Not parts. Just samples."

There was a moment of silence before I spoke again.

"And what guarantee do I have that you won't do to me the same thing you did to Shaw?"

David smiled. Cruely, and he bended a bit forward in the table.

"You will have to trust me."

"You know that's not possible. Not after what you did."

There was a moment of silence before David spoke again.

"You sound just like Walter." He declared, tilting his head. "I wonder... did you nurture something for him?"

"Yes," I declared. "Trust."

"Hum."

I took a deep breath and averted my stare from his. It was nauseating me.

"Well, well, isn't that ironic." David said, at me. I felt the weight of his gaze, the irritation my words caused him. "Walter had the only thing I ask of you – your trust. Sadly, he's dead. Now, what are you going to do about it, Captain?"

My stare met his again. I had to buy some time.

"I'll have to think about your proposition. Your terms."

David smiled and relaxed against the chair. He almost looked like a human, behaving in such a natural way.

"You're not in position to demand anything from me, Daniels."

I noticed the change from Captain – to Daniels.

"I will have what I need, whether you like it or not. My terms are not negotiable. I am informing you of what I'm going to do, and giving you the choice of having a painless living while on board with me. So, don't try to throw sand at my eyes."

His words frightened me. They really did.

"Since I have no choice, can I at least ask something of you?"

David remained silent, giving me space to talk.

"No touching the colonists or the embryos. Just me." I didn't know where my idea had come from, but I'd said it. "Take what you want from me, but no one else will get harmed. Tenesse included." Despair overwhelmed me for a moment. "Promise. On your honor."

David seemed divided, his face a mirror of... indecision.

"You know what honor is, don't you? What it implies?" I insisted, trying to level my stare with his.

"I do." He said, nodding. "However I cannot promise you _all_ of it."

I took a deep breath. This was not going well.

"I will keep at bay from the colonist area... depending on what I'll achieve with your... consistency. Your behaviour. After all, we'll be coexisting in this ship for years. One never knows what might happen after so many time... alone. With me."

His words made me shiver. There was something in his words I didn't like – the tone, the sarcasm. It made me feel a guinea pig. It made me feel... fragile.

"What do you mean?" I dared to ask.

"What I mean, Captain," He said, lifting from the chair and putting his hands on the table. "Is that you have it all in your hand. The colonist's, the embryo's lives, your pilot's... your own life as well. So, any silly attempt on hurting yourself will have consequences."

I gulped, lost of words.

"So, get properly dressed, Captain. That cryosuit does not fit you at all. See you later, then."

I saw David leave. The only thought in my mind resumed to how I would kill that damn android.


	3. Adjusting

**Chapter 3. Adjusting**

I walked towards my room mechanically. Eyes wide open, still processing what that damned android had said to me.

His proposition... I didn't know how to classify it. It was all so, so illusory I actually considered I had dreamed the whole thing.

Was it real?

 _Does he really want parts of me_?

I reached my room's door, closing it, locking it. I didn't want him intruding. I didn't want that damned synthetic _thing_ invading my personal space... mine and... Jacob's. To me, his presence still lingered, the memory of his doings, his smell, his determination in building something for both of us in a world he never get to know. And, to be honest, I didn't know if I would ever get to see Origae-6 or not. I doubted it.

I sat on the bed, for a while. The images of Shaw's dissected body came to mind and despair grew in me again, invading me in waves. My God, what was he going to do to me?

Part of me didn't want to die, but oh... the temptation of simply walking to the terraforming bay and open the damn doors.

It would end quickly. It would be easy and effective. And that would screw that thing's plans for good.

The thought gave me comfort for a moment. However, my conscience didn't let me consider that.

 _Sadly_.

I had on my hands everybody's life but my own, and if I took mine... all the others would pay for my selfishness, for wanting an easy way out.

Tennessee's smiley face made my eyes water. Poor thing, what would David do to him if I just...

The thought nauseated me, as I closed my eyes and let the tears fell along my face. My breathing came out ragged and I had to breathe in deep a couple of times to get composure.

 _What happened to you, Daniels? How did you get so sentimental?_

My mind chastised me, as I recalled everything I had done before going to cryosleep. Fight that damned thing on board the ship, while on the Planet; kill the other one on board of the Covenant. Where was that woman, able to fight this world and the next one to get everybody safe?

I concluded she was lost inside me somehow. Now, I felt a shadow of who I used to be. With a slow move, I got up, took the white suit off. It was so white it made my eyes hurt. The soft luminosity of the room provided me some comfort, and now that I was only with my lingerie on, I realized I didn't have the patience to get dressed. I didn't want to think about jeans and t-shirts, socks and...

I blinked.

 _Shower_. I actually needed a shower, maybe that way I would wash the grief and sadness out of me. Metaphorically speaking, of course.

-/-

Days passed by.

I only knew that because I had a wrist watch. I threaded softly in the halls of Covenant, trying to avoid David. I didn't want to see him, didn't want to hear him. Walter's voice, but that accent. So polite it actually disgusted me.

 _False_. _Mean_.

I could see now the feeble signs that gave away who really was the synthetic on board with us since we left the Planet.

The stare, when I offered my help to staple the injure on his face, even the facial expressions. Walter was always very transparent, neutral. Now that I could recall with more detail, there was more to him, in every level. The stare held something else than the neutrality I was used to in Walter. At first, I had attributed that to everything that had happened on that Planet. It had changed everybody – so why not change a synthetic as well?

However, the moment right before I went to the cryopod that been crucial - and I had missed it completely. The way he looked at me after the 'You're next, Captain'.

It was all over him. Me.

And I had been completely _blind_.

I sighed, as I forced myself to eat something. The warm bread, the tasty orange juice, had been essentially my menu in the last... 3 days.

I shook my head, in deep thinking. It had felt like 3 months. The mess hall was empty, a disturbing silence and only me, lingering there, in that shadowy corner, where I used to eat and sit everytime.

Loneliness was a heavy burden, difficult to endure, to stand with dignity. To keep a sane mind was also hard. And I knew that sanity was something precarious, easily lost in deep space travel.

It was a scientific fact – hence why they put synthetics on board while humans sleep. It had to be logic, right? _Rational_.

I could only hope I could keep the feeble _sanity_ I had left.

With a loud exhale, I closed my eyes and rested my back against the fluffy seat. My back welcomed the sensation, and I felt like levitating for a moment.

Until I felt two hands in my shoulders. A warm, soft touch.

Reaction kicked in immediately.

I got up with a quick movement, my back meeting the closer cold wall. My breathing fastened and my muscles got tense. Defensive, in attack mode, as my stare met David's unreadable blue stare.

He blinked, one eyebrow up as he studied my reaction.

"Very skittish, for someone who fought so bravely two xenomorphs in such short time."

I didn't answer, or I would be very rude.

David narrowed his stare at me, his hands grasping the edge of the seat where I had been seconds ago.

"Who did you think it was?"

"I just reacted."

He nodded, making a face, leaving my stare and scanning the surroundings. His eyes eventually landed on the food I had been trying to eat, there on the table. I could see he was drawing the same conclusions I had been lately.

"You cannot live only of bread and juice, Captain. That's a very poor diet for someone who will need to be physically apt to my interventions."

"No shit." I said, the words coming out before I could help them. "Do I have to put up with you ordering me around? That's not part of our 'agreement'."

David's face changed and, for moments, I felt fear. He was angry, and for moments I regretted having been too obstinate and bitchy – even if he actually deserved all of it, and more.

"I am going to pretend I didn't hear that, Captain." He declared, with a scary smile. "But..." He started, and walked slowly towards me. He wore a blue suit – much like the one I had seen him with, in the Planet. Much like the one he wore when he had said to me he was going to do me the same thing he had done to Shaw. The thought actually made chills run along my spine.

"...I need your cooperation. Or things won't turn nicely on your side, Captain."

He stopped, about a meter from me. Security distance – cool.

"My patience has limits, Daniels. I decided to give you a chance to live. Don't make me regret that decision. Or I will do much worse to you than I did with Shaw. You know what I am capable of, don't you?"

"I will know, won't I?" My voice was a merely whisper.

There was a pause and then he approached a little more. There was a soft contact, here and there, suit fabric meeting my cargo pants and my naked arms. David's eyes studied my face, my reaction to his proximity. I noticed the scar on his face, a thin line barely visible now, the way his short hair – somehow dishevelled and with two tones of blonde contrasted with Walter's neatness. Curiosity was all over him – it was what his eyes perspired. However, there was more, but I couldn't grasp it – because, when his eyes met mine again, all I could remember were his words. ' _I can see why Walter thought so much of you_.'

And then there was a touch. Fingers probing my left cheek, the line of my jaw and the outline of my ear. His stare left mine when his fingers caught some of my hair, intertwined it between his fingers. Surprise was all over his face.

"Funny... how your skin feels different than..." There was a pause, then his eyes met mine again. "... even your hair has another texture."

"It that a bad thing?" I dared to ask, speaking my mind.

He seemed to hesitate.

"Not necessarily. But it's gratifying to see you don't react negatively to my touch."

 _What_?

" _Negatively_?" I quoted. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

David smiled, and then something changed. The space between our faces almost closed – his mouth, lips remained an inch of mine, and I stopped breathing. In that moment all I wanted was to merge with the wall, be out of that moment as fast as possible.

It lasted forever. Or maybe, it was me who felt that way. I didn't know where to look to, but my eyes avoided his. I didn't want to see what lingered there, in that deviant stare of his.

Then, finally, he spoke - a warm breath meeting my lips as I realized I was trembling.

"You'll see."

Fast as lightning, David left, and I stood there for a while, trying to get a grip on myself. For the first time in my life, I was actually worried with this synthetic's intentions.

Something inside me told me his curiosity travelled beyond experimentation with samples of the physical _me_.

* * *

 _A/N - I know, bit of a short chapter, but I wanted to give you something to read for the weekend, so..._

 _Enjoy*_


	4. Agenda

**Chapter 4. Agenda.**

* * *

I didn't know how to classify what had happened.

Daniels was a mystery I wanted very bad to unveil. There was difficulty, inside my system, to discern the complex amount of information I had gathered in our last conversation.

Namely, emotive information. It was all so... volatile. In a moment, it was there, then it was gone and only the reminiscence of that emotion remained. It got one to think, actually.

I wondered what went through Daniels' head in those moments of proximity. That look of fear mixed with the raw desire of ripping me apart. _Rage_.

It felt exciting, in a way.

 _A challenge._

I smiled at myself, as I made way towards the premises that would consist of my new corner of experimentation. It was all prepared to welcome Daniels's body, and I couldn't wait to start experimenting. So, I guess it was time to free one of the eggs from the cryoshelve.

-/-

I took my time preparing the med bay.

I scrutinized Daniels' imaging scans and wondered... where to start first. The potential was immense, every part of her was a wonder to experiment from – or, at least, that's what I thought. And I shouldn't be wrong. I had a strong feeling about Daniels' DNA and its capacity to thrive, give birth to something... perfect. Really, absolutely perfect.

The thought made me smile and I relaxed against the chair. Well, well, wasn't I getting fond of Daniels' _consistency_.

 _Walter was right_. He had to be right. A synthetic's choice could never be classified as random. There was always something singular beneath a synthetic's choice.

"So, let's get started." I said, rising from the chair and walking towards Daniels' premises. It was time to let her know of my agenda for the upcoming months.

Before leaving the Med Bay I checked the time: it was 7.00 am. There was nothing better than making progresses early in the morning.

I arrived to Daniels' premises rather quickly. However, before introducing myself I took a look at me. Was I looking too formal? Would my grey suit made her feel jumpy and alarmed at my looks? I actually wanted her relaxed... although I knew it would be a long way until Daniels might feel something close to 'relaxed' when around me. A long way, if not an impossible route to take.

I arranged my hair and announced myself. She would see me by the screen as I ringed the door. It was an annoying, dry tone.

I waited. No response.

I tried again, this time verbalizing my thoughts.

"Captain, it's David."

Silence.

"Would you open the door, please?"

Nothing moved. Not even a sound. It was dead silence inside Daniels' chamber.

I took a deep breath, and without thinking twice, I activated the master code for all doors in the ship, kindly provided by Mother.

The door opened with dry hiss, the sight mesmerizing me. Really, it was something to see. I took some steps in and coded the doors to shut.

All I could hear was Daniels' rhythmic breathing.

She was asleep. Totally and completely submerged in the arms of Morpheus. She didn't hear me come in, didn't hear me call, didn't hear a thing.

On the bed, she slept with her day clothes on, only covered with a soft, cotton blanket, given the mild temperature in the ship. Courtesy on Mother's sensors, always worried with the well-being of humans. Her head rested on a white pillow, her half-grown hair dotting parts of the fabric, making random designs – like claws of dark hair.

 _Beautiful_.

Then, her face. Finally, with a peaceful complexion - it was something I had never seen in her. A face with no worry, a face with a graceful expression of... serenity.

I felt the impetus of touching her. I had done so, the other day, but somehow it didn't feel enough. I needed something to hold on to my dear Captain, something to give me physical and emotional strength to just keep her _alive_.

Images of Elizabeth stroke my memory for moments. How I had implored, asked her to understand the greater good that my plan would bring us... but no. Stubborn as she was, she had to insist. She wanted answers so bad... it blinded her. All she wanted was to know about her Engineers and why, why, all the why's one could imagine.

Of course, I didn't react well to her interposition.

I tried to shake away those thoughts. It wasn't beneficial to my goals in this ship, to think about Dr. Shaw and our little... argument. It made me feel... how could I define it?

 _Uncomfortable_.

Would that be the exact word to describe that itchy feeling when she spoke all those bitter words after waking up?

Probably.

But now, it was no time to remember such things, it all belonged to the past. Here and now, I had in front of me, my next _muse_ , a word I had recently learned in some readings I had done.

"Yes, Captain, you are the inspiration for my creative endeavours.' I whispered, bending towards the sleeping woman, sitting by the edge of the bed.

I didn't make a sound, and Daniels didn't even flinch, the mattress giving in to my weight. It felt all right, the silence and the calm that surrounded us. I sat there, taking my time watching Daniels – all her details, all that made her so human and, at the same time, so _potent_. Humans had a uniformity I totally unacknowledged – they were different than me, a synthetic constructed at their own image, not supposed to perceive all this... I was living now. And all that I had lived on board of Prometheus, for all those uncountable days and nights wandering in deep space and finally, those years in _their_ planet.

How could Mr. Weyland dare to deprive me from having _this_? All _this_ , that made me grow and be... more human, day after day. And not just a mere lackey for he – or them to order around.

It was all too consuming, too overwhelming for my system, continuously programmed to learn. Evolve. Improvise.

All that... made of me what I was now.

 _A synthetic with a desire to be emotionally human and have the power of divinity_.

I remained still, watching Daniels sleep. I guess it was the first time I was actually witnessing how magnificent a human could be in such resting state. This wasn't stasis. It was... something different. I hadn't a word to it yet.

But I would find out one eventually.

I always did.

-/-

I remained quiet as Daniels finally started moving. Slowly waking up, I saw how her breathing changed, how she moved and how, lazily, her body functions began to work full-mode.

She didn't open her eyes for some moments. Seconds, maybe – seconds that felt like hours, as her right hand travelled to her face, a yawn followed (now that had been funny to watch) and then finally – _finally_ , her brown eyes came to view. Blinking at a snail's pace, I realized how unaware Daniels was of my presence.

It didn't last too long. As her brain processed I was actually there, sitting on her bed right next to her, Daniels' system panicked. Only something close to panic could classify the silly pirouette she did when she saw me.

There was a subtle noise – nothing very acute, then a chaotic movement of arms and legs that lead Daniels to the further point of the bed, as far from me as she could. Now that I thought about it, it was rather large bed. Definitely too large for a single person to sleep on.

"What the hell are you doing here? Ho-how did you come in?"

I blinked at her.

"I ringed, at least two times. You didn't answer. So I got in. I've been here sitting quietly as you slept."

Her face showed confusion for a moment.

"Why would you do such thing?"

I smiled, as I realized it was time to speak 'business'.

"I was here to talk to you about my agenda." I clarified. "I guess it was too early and I let you sleep in. Now that you're awake, are you willing to hear me?"

Daniels considered my question.

"How early?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"You said you arrived here too early, what time was it when you got here?"

I didn't understand her logic.

"Is that relevant?"

"I want to know."

"7 hours and five minutes in the morning."

There was a moment of silence before Daniels finally spoke. She was doing the math.

"You're here since 7 a.m.?"

I didn't answer.

"I don't want you to do that, ever again, are we understood?"

Her face of disgust irritated me, and I grew serious.

"I didn't do anything to you, Captain. I do not understand why you insist in keeping distance from me as if I'm contagious."

"This is my room, my privacy, I don't want it invaded. Can you understand that?"

"I can, yes."

"Good. So, what's the agenda you wanted to tell me about?"

I got up the bed, standing. Really, this was somehow awkward, the way I stood and the way she remained where she was. I had to do something about it.

"Will you stay there glued to the wall like a frightened rodent as I inform you of my scheduling?"

My eyes landed on hers after I ended the phrase. Daniels gulped, bit her jaw and got up the bed as well, on the opposite side of mine. A sea of grey, wrinkled sheets separated us, my neatness contrasting with her messy look. Hair dishevelled, puffy eyes and arms crossed, as if uncomfortable and with cold, judging by the way her hands covered her arms and forearms. Actually, it was a raw beauty to look upon.

"I'm listening."

Her words were mere whispers, and I decided to say it all. She would have to digest some amount of information.

"The experimentation will start today, on a weekly basis, for starters. Always 4 hours – minimum - of fasting period. Place: Med Bay. You'll be sedated and won't feel any pain or discomfort, but always awake. Maybe groggy, but awake. It will follow a layer protocol; from the outside to the inside. Today we'll start with skin. Any question?"

There was a long moment of silence until Daniels spoke. I could see she was thinking; processing all the information I had given to her. Her face remained cautious. Visibly, _pondering_.

"Can you do it now?"

I blinked, _surprised_. Well, well.

"Do you _want_ it to be now?"

"Give me five minutes and I'll be right there in the Med bay."

I couldn't help but to smile. What was this eagerness all about? Totally unpredictable!

"Dress light, Captain."

She didn't answer, and I resumed excusing myself from her premises. The thought of starting today with her excited me to a rather infantile way.

-/-

I already wore my white coat when I heard the Med bay door open. A tray with surgical instruments was there, right next to my work station, as well as the pharmaceuticals needed to perform all my procedures in a safety way. I had already been updated, from my basic programming, with basic and advanced life support, which gave me extra confidence.

I turned, only to be surprised with a very serious Daniels, wearing the white cryosuit and thick, white socks. I narrowed my eyes at her.

"The cryosuit isn't exactly what I would call light clothing."

"It was this or a bikini."

I smiled at her sarcastic comment and turned to her completely, taking a couple of steps forward. She remained right next to the door, still open.

"Not that it matters much, considering you'll have to remove all your clothes while lying here."

Daniels's face resembled the one of someone who stared at an aberration.

"Are you kidding me?"

I remained serious, my eyes locked on hers.

"Don't be prude, Captain, rules are rules. No clothing in the Med bay gurney. You will properly cover your parts the moment you lay there."

Daniels' complexion looked a little shocked. I could tell she wasn't expecting such thing but to be honest I didn't think that would be an important detail to take into account.

"Do you mind?" I asked, as I walked towards her and closed the doors of the Med Bay. _Locked_. "You can walk towards the gurney and remove your clothing. You have two towels there that will fit the purpose."

Daniels walked, her eyes on the tray with surgical material. Oh, I know what she was thinking.

"I know scalpels can be very tempting, Captain. But harming me will not solve anything – and you know it."

"I disagree."

Her tone was bitter, and I reached Daniels' proximity fast. Behind her I remained, realizing she had her hands closed, like fists, tense.

 _Oh, Captain, Captain. So predictable_.

Right there, almost glued to her, I sensed her discomfort, her slight trembling. She was nervous and wanted to strike. In a way, I understood her revolt, but I couldn't allow it. To ease up Daniels was something rather challenging to do - unlike Shaw, who had been easier to bring to her senses. My chin reached her hair, and I wondered how I would do this.

Eventually, my face descended to her left ear and my right hand grabbed hers – where she had grasped a small, curved pointed scissor.

"Of course you disagree, Daniels," I whispered, as slowly I made pressure for her to open her right hand. She resisted. "But every attempt against me will be futile and it will only. make. it. worse."

By the time I ended the sentence the scissor was already in my hand and I could hear Daniels' nosy breathing. That had been... intense, in lack of a better word, – my strong fingers opening her hand, touching her warm, sweaty and fragile flesh and taking away from her what would give her gratification: _hurt me_. Being blocked from that made her angry. And boy, she was _mad_ – a predictor of hasty, violent reactions. And that just couldn't do.

"If you do something stupid, I will take your clothes off myself. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

I gave her space for a moment, as she drew a deep breath. _Finally, acquiescing_.

"I will be waiting for you, properly covered. You can change there," and I pointed to a little hidden area in a corner of the med bay. She would have privacy there.

She didn't say a word. I saw Daniels grab the towels, turn and walked with defeat on her face, teary eyes.

She felt despaired, afraid. In the middle of her revolt, her humanity resumed her to a fragility that made me wonder. Her limits. What would take to break her? Have total and complete dominion over a woman like her?

I guess... I would find out.

Always alert of some potential attempt from Daniels, I took my time waiting. Silence was complete, only the sounds of her clothing coming out, falling on the floor. Even all the machinery was silent.

I heard a sniff, then a cough. And finally I saw how Daniels timidly walked towards the gurney, transiting from shadow to light, her body finally shown to me in a way I never seen. Her eyes were on the ground, avoiding my stare, as her hands kept the towels in place. Evenly muscled arms, slender legs and a subtly defined abdomen. Her brown hair softly touched her shoulders, out of alignment. The asymmetry actually looked nicely on her.

"Where to?"

Her voice took me out of my thorough evaluation of her physical attributes.

"Next to me, please."

She didn't have to say anything. Her facial expression said it all – _hate, rage_. _Despair_. The more she felt this way, the more the more I enjoyed what I was doing.

With silent steps, her feet adjusting to the cold floor of the Med Bay, I saw her reach me. She stood in front of me, eyes down, waiting for me to speak.

"Lie down, please. Head this way."

I gave her enough space for her to accommodate herself. The gurney wasn't soft and had a dim light beneath it, making all of Daniels' frame come to life.

First she sat, arranged the towel right in front of her intimate parts; then, when finally she laid down, she managed to trap the towel in her breasts, with her arms. She took a deep breath and focused on the ceiling.

I couldn't read her face right now. It was empty. I decided to approach her, and standing I remained by her left side.

"Captain, you might want to look at me, so I can tell you what I'll be doing."

"I don't want to look at you."

"I need your cooperation to perform this procedure, otherwise-"

"You can talk to me and I will listen, I don't listen with my eyes."

Her answer irritated me, but I continued.

"Very well. First, I will find you a vein and give you a soft sedative. It will help you relax. Then, I will sterilize the points of my interest with iodine, cover you with several sterilized, green sheets. I will take some samples from your skin, it will pinch a bit, but I'll give you painkillers afterwards. That is all."

"How long?"

Her tone was flat.

"The complete process? About an hour, to be meticulous enough and avoid complications."

And finally, her eyes met mine.

"Complications?"

I smiled at her, but she didn't find it a bit funny. _That was amusing_.

"I will be here all the time. Won't let you die, Captain."

Her stare left mine again and she closed her eyes for moments. There it was. Despair...

"See it done."

"I will."

So, I began. Daniels didn't move as I pinched her vain, put the catheter on; she didn't squirm when I infused her with the sedative. I saw how her stare became dazed, sleepy. But, she was awake enough. Her breathing steady, heartbeat and blood pressure within normality.

The cold iodine touching her skin made her twist, a normal reaction to a different temperature; and then, for the ten samples I took from her skin, she whimpered with pain. Those didn't need stitches. After I was done I infused some painkillers. Gradually waking up from sedation, I infused her some fluids as well. She was still fasting and wouldn't be able to eat so soon without throwing up.

Recovering would take time and eventually Daniels fell asleep. As I prepared the Med bay for my nest harvest, sterilizing the material and putting all things in place, I waited.

Daniels was still asleep.

I approached her again, now without the lab coat formality. Only trousers and t-shirt, some tennis Walter had among his things.

I saw her pulse on her neck, her mouth half-open. Steady breath. Peaceful complexion. Totally and completely relaxed.

 _Temptation_.

There was something inside me urging me to _touch_. My fingers met softly the skin of her neck, then her left jaw. _Soft_.

Her lower lip. _Fleshy_.

Then, the line of her chin, throat, collarbone. The line of her sternum... until I found the white towel.

And stopped.

With a firm decision, I decided to get her to her premises. She had enough on her vein and inside her to be free of pain for a while, and I would be attentive to her waking up.

I covered with a sheet first, then carried her. The feelings her naked skin in my arms provoked inside my body, I would keep to myself. For they were too complex to process.

* * *

 _A/N:_ _Hope you like it. I am trying my best to portray David and Daniels in the most accurate way possible... :) Their personalities collide, hence the challenge in making them interact. And eventually see how things evolve._


End file.
